Shake splitting machines



Nov. 20, 1956 J. G. vAsEY SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet lFiled May 17, 1955 Nov. 20, 1956 J. G. vAsEY SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINES 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1955 fab/7 @Jay .fm/ff? far Nov. 20, 1956J. G. vAsEY 2,771,107

sHAxE SPLITTING MACHINES J. G. vAsEY 2,771,107

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United States Patent M SHAKE SPLITTING MACHINES John G. Vasey, Portland,Greg. Application May 17, 1955, Serial No. 509,035

6 Claims. (Cl. 144-193) My invention relates to a machine for splitingshakes from a bolt of wood.

The principal object l had in mind during the development of my machinewas to be able to make more perfect shakes, namely, those with uniformbutts and reasonably uniform tips.

Shakes were made by our forefathers to cover the roofs and sides oftheir buildings. They are used today for the same purpose where a rusticappearance is desred.

The tools necessary to hand-split shakes are a saw, axe, froe, andmallet. A length of log is split and trimmed up into sections having ahorizontal cross section resembling "f that of the vertical section ofthe frustum of a cone. Such a section, knownA as a bolt, has two flatgrain faces and two vertical grain faces or faces in which the annualrings are at right angles thereto. The shakes are split off a verticalgrain face of the bolt. The length of the vertical grain face of thebolt fixes the width of the shake. The froe is a heavy backed knifehaving a handle at right angles to the blade. The operator aligns theblade parallel to the bolt face to split off therefrom a shake havingthe desired butt thickness. The shake is split or wedged olf the bolt bystriking the back of the froe a sharp blow with the mallet. For-someunknown reason the shake split off does not usually hold the buttthickness throughout its length but tends to taper from the butt end tothe tip end. Men learn from eX- perience how to hold the tips to apredetermined thickness. Due to the natural tendency of the shake totaper off the operator lirst forms the butt on one end of the bolt andthen on the other end of said bolt.

The practice of forming the butt on alternate ends of the bolt is commonto most machines built for the mechanical splitting of shakes. I followthe same practice in the machine which I am about to describe and whichI have illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l, of these drawings is a plan View of the machine frame showingdiagrammatically the location of the operating elements; Fig. 2, is aside View of said frame; Fig. 3, is a plan View showing the pipingarrangement of vthe operating elements; Fig. 4, is a plan view of thecarriage; Fig. 5, is a side view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6, is a verticalsection on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7, is a verticalsection on theline 7-7 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 is a similar section showing the use of anauxiliary hinged bumper for thin spalts; Fig. 9, is a vertical sectionon the line 9-9 of Fig. 4, enlarged; Fig. 10, is a side elevationshowing the cam adjusting mechanism for the carriage table; Fig. 11, isan elevation similar to Fig. l0, but showing the opposite positioning ofthe cams; Fig. l2, is an enlarged section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 1l;Fig. 13, is an enlarged section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 10; Fig. 14,shows a bolt and the way the shakes would be taken therefrom; Fig. l5,is a plan view showing the holding means for the table adjusting lever;Fig. 16, is an enlarged cross section thru the carriage and frame on theline 145-16 of Fig. 4; Fig. 17, is an enlarged vertical sectionlengthwise of the carriage on the line 17-17 of Fig. 4; Fig. 18, is `anenlarged elevation of the carriage travel vreg- 2,771,107 Patented Nov.20, 1956 ulating means; Fig. 19, is an enlarged elevation of thecarriage reversing mechanism; Fig. 20, isan enlarged end of thereversing mechanism levers. Fig. 21 is a plan View showing therelationship of the carriage and frame, Fig. 22 is a section on the line22-22 of Fig. 2l.

Thruout the drawings and the specification similar numerals refer tosimilar parts.

The frame F consists ofthe channel side members 1 and 2 with theirflanges extending outwardly. These side channels 1 and 2 aretied'together by the end channel members 3 and 4, the cylinder supportmember 5, and the top cover plate 6 on which are mounted the gas engine7 (or electric motor) having V-pulleys 8 over which belts (not shown)operate to turn the pulleys 9 on the pump 1G by means of which oil isbrought under pressure to operate the carriage-operating cylinder 11.Oil from the reservoir 12 passes thru the pump 10, pressure relief valve13, control valve 14, and is directed alternately to each end of thecylinder 1l by the 4-way valve 15. The cylinder 11 is supported at oneend by the jaws 11A which engage the cylinder support member S. Theopposite end is supported by the stirrup 16 depending from the coverplate 6 as shown in Fig. 2. The crosshead 17 on the cylinder piston rod18 engages the cross 'bar 19 on the carriage frame C and is held inplace by a king pin (not shown) which passes thru a hole 20 in said bar.It follows that the carriage C will follow the reciprocating 'movementof the cylinder piston head (not shown). The description vof the meansto control the reciprocating movement of the carriage C follows aygeneral description of the carriage frame C.

This frame C consists of two channel side members 21 and 22 with theirflanges turned inwardly and overlapping the outwardly extending flangeson the frame F side channels 1 `and 2 as shown in Fig. 16 in particular.These channel side members 21 and 22 are 'tied together at their ends bythe channel members 23 and 24 and the cross bar 19 in which is the hole26 thru which the king pin (not shown) passes to couple the cylindercrosshead 17 to the carriage C;

The travel of the carriage C is fixed by the location of the collars 25,26, and 27 Fig. 18, adjustable to position on the rod 28 one end ofwhich is slidably mounted in the bearing 29 positioned on the top ilangeof the ICC carriage side channel 22 and the other end of which isslidably mounted in the bearing 30 positioned on the bottom flange ofthe frame side channel 1. The collars 26 and 27 are spaced 'apart forthe reception of the lower portion 31A of the lever 3l secured to therocker shaft 32 supported by the bearings 33 and 34 mounted on the framecover sheet '6. See Figs. l, 16, and 18 Loosely mounted on the rod 2Sbetween the collar 25 and the bearing 29 is an open coilspring 35, and'between said bearing 29 and the collar 26 is a second open coil spring36.

The lever 3l, the rocker arm 37, and the lever 38 are all secured to thesame rocker shaft 32 and their position is shown in solid lines in Figs.18 and 19, at the instant of reversal of the Zl-way valve 15' whosepiston rod 39 is hingedly secured to the rocker arm T57. At the abovementioned instant the lever Sil is in alignment with 'the lever 40 whoserocker pin 41 is carried by the bearing 42 mounted on the cover plate 6.One end of each of the levers 3S and 40 are hingedly connected togetherwhile .their opposite ends have connected thereto the ends of a closedcoil extension spring 43. A slotted hole 44 is Vprovided in the lever 40so that the levers 38 and 40 may be moved to either the upper or lowerpositions as shown `by their broken outlines `in Fig. 19. The levers 3Sand 40 are in and remain in the lower position prior to the instant :theforwardly moving car-v riage C engages and begins to compress the spring36,` move the bottom 31A of the lever 31 forward, the end of the lever3S upwardly, and the end 40A of the lever 40 downwardly. As the leverend 38A moves upwardly and the lever end 40A downwardly the spring 43 is'tensioned until the levers 38 and 40 come into alignment at whichinstant the spring 43 following the line of least resistance quicklymoves said levers over center into their upper position at which timethe 4-way valve 1S reverses and delivers oil into the opposite end ofthe cylinder 11 whereby the carriage C is moved rearwardly. As thecarriage C moves rearwardly it engages and compresses the spring 35against the collar 25 thus moving the rod 28 rearwardly along with thecollars 26 and 27 and the bottom 31A of the lever 31. As the carriagemovement continues the spring 43 causes the levers 33 and 40 to againmove over the center but in the opposite direction. When once startedthe carriage C-continues to reciprocate as long as the pump 10 deliversoil to the operating cylinder 11.

Also tying the frame side channels 1 and 2 together are the anglemembers 45 and 46 (Figs. l, 7 and 8) which are spaced apart to form thehopper H for the reception of the bolt 47 shown in Fig. 14. Iournalledin the carriage side channel members are the ends of the cam shafts 48and 49 which have their portions intermediate the webs of the channelmembers 21 and 22 milled to a half round configuration as shown in Figs.10, 11, 12, 13, and 16. These half round cam portions 48A and 49A serveas fulcrums on which rest the knife plates 5l) and 51. These knifeplates 50 and 51 are plain flat plates which are loosely confined by thechannel side members 21 and 22 and the channel tie members 23 and 24 asshown in Figs. 16 and 17. The ad* jacent edges of the knife plates S and51 are bevelled as shown in Figs. 9 and 17, said bevelled edges beingspaced apart to form a throat 52 for the passage of a shake down underthe bevelled edges 53. The bevelled edges 53 on the knife plates 50 and51 are not parallel, as is shown in Fig. 4, in order that a shearingcontact may be made with a bolt 47. In each lower flange 54 of thecarriage channel side members 21 and 22 are positioned the cap screws55, 56, 57 and SS, each provided with a jamb nut as shown in Figs. 16and 17. Referring to Fig. 17, it will be noted that the knife plate l)is resting upon the cam portion 48A and thev cap screws 56 while theknife plate 51 rests upon the cam portion 49A and the cap screws 58,being held against said cap screws 58 by the counterweight 59 which isloosely confined between the top flanges of the channel side members 21and 22 and the tie channel 24 and the rod 66 which extends between thechannel side meinbers 21 and 2?.. The effect of the counterweight 61resting upon the knife plate 50 is offset by the weight of the bolt beingcut plus mechanically applied pressure thereto (none being shown) or bypressure applied directly to the bolt by the operator. Fig. 17, showsthe position and relation of the knife plates at the instant thecarriage C is ready to move forward to engage a bolt resting upon theknife plate 50. As the` carriage C is about to start its rearwardmovement the knife plate 50 rests upon the cam portion 48A and the capscrews 55 While the knife plate S1 rests upon the cam portion 49A andthe cap screws 58. Fig. 11 shows the knife plates supported on the flatface 62 of the cam portions 48A and 49A while in Fig. 10, the knifeplates are supported at the junction point of the flat and roundedsurfaces of the cam portions. The cam portions 48A and 49A may bebrought to the positions shown in Figs. l() and l1, or any intermediateposition, by means of the lever 63 connected by the links 64 and 65 tothe rocker arms 66 and 67 secured to the cam shafts 48 and 49,respectively. This lever- 63 has a tooth 68 adapted to be positionedbetween any of the teeth 69 (Fig. 15) forming the quadrant on the upperportion of the plate 70 secured to the side channel 21. In order thatthe tooth 68 Vmay be moved to any desired position the lever 63 isslidable endwise of and on the pin 71 projecting from the plate 7G. Aconical spring 72 is positioned between a head '71A on the pin 71 andthe lever 63 to provide the flexibility needed to move the tooth 68 toany desired position. A guard 73 attached to and spaced from the platekeeps the lever 63 from being moved out of bounds. By the manipulationof this lever 63 the knife plates may be adjusted to cut shake butts ofany desired thickness within the range of the machine.

Once the knife plates, cam portions, and stop screws are adjusted forthe shake to be cut the operator places a bolt in the hopper H andapplies sufficient pressure thereagainst to bring the knife plate intolcontact with the cap or Astop screws adjacent its bevelled end. Theshakes split or wedged off the bolt pass thru the throat and drop freebeneath the machine.

With my floating knife construction I get a better product than is to behad where a knife is mounted free from and above the two tables.

It is pointed out that many modifications may be made in my machinewithout departing from the basic principle involved therefore I do notlimit my invention to the exact disclosures but extend it to all thatcornes fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

The carriage is the gist of my invention and what I claim as new overthe art is hereinafter set forth.

I claim:

1. In a shake splitting machine, a carriage adapted for reciprocablemovement having a frame with four sides arranged to enclose a spacebetween said sides, a pair of spaced apart knife plates loosely confinedwithin the enclosed space having adjacent edges oppositely bevelled toform a splitting wedge on each knife plate, a fulcrum member for andintermediate the ends of each knife plate providing support for saidknife plate, means to adjust the height of the point of support on thefulcrum mem-v ber, and means to limit the vertical movement of eachknife plate fore and aft of its fulcrum member.-

2. Such a structure as in claim 1 wherein the fore and aft limit .meansare vertically adjustable screws.

3. In a shake splitting machine the combination of a pair of spacedapart freely floating knife plates which have their adjacent edgesoppositely bevelled to form a splitting wedge on each knife plate and acam bar upon which a knife plate is freeely and teeterably supported.

4. In a shake splitting machine the combination of a pair of spacedapart freely floating knife plates which have their adjacent edgesoppositely bevelled to form a splitting wedge on each knife plate, a cambar upon which a knife plate is freely and teeterably supported, and acounterweight resting upon the non bevelled end of each knife plate.

5. In a shake splitting machine the combination of a pair of spacedapart freely floating knife plates which have their adjacent edgesoppositely bevelled to form a splitting wedge on each knife plate, and afulcrum bar upon an eccentric portion of which a knife plate isteeterably supported when said eccentric portion is raised, said fulcrumbar being adapted to be rotated to raise and lower the knife plate.

6. In addition to the structure of claim 5, said fulcrum bar havingcylindrical end portions and said eccentric portion being anintermediate knife supporting portion of half round configuration, andmeans to move the flat face of the half round portion of the fulcrum barfrom a horizontal plane to a vertical plane.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

